Assume Nothing
by Sweets Dreamer
Summary: (High School AU) Both Kurapika and Mito wonder why Gon attracts the attention of all the wrong people, Killua is desparate as usual to break away from his family and Chrollo and his friends learn that they are not very fond of hyperactive teenage girls. Fem!Gon and Fem!Kurapika.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Hunter X Hunter belongs to Togashi. Definitely not mine.

 **Chapter Summary:** _Killua's hair fascinates almost everyone.  
_

 **Hello everyone! I have been obsessing about Hunter x Hunter for the past two years and then I discovered the joys of Fanfiction. I am basically a newbie author who just wanted to write something about the Chain Pair. So anyways, here is my first ever fic. Although I hate OOCness my writing tends** **to go in that dire** **ction (do warn me in case something like that happens. I expect it to happen after every three words I write.)** **By the way, this is a High School AU fic with female Gon and female Kurapika. I have also aged down a lot of characters while simultaneously aging up a few others. It will be pretty obvious once you start reading it. So here I present to you without further ado my fanfic. I hope those who read it will enjoy it. Have fun!**

 **First day**

It was a peaceful day in the country of Jappon. The weather was pleasant with a light breeze making it just right. The perfect time to go for a walk or sleep under the shade of the cherry blossoms. Unfortunately for students though, this is the beginning of a whole new semester of school year.

"Kuraaaapikaaaa waaaaait," yelled a girl, her black hair flying behind her as she ran to catch up with a blonde standing near the notice board. As soon as she reached the blonde, the girl looked at her with a rueful look in her eyes and a pout.

"You said that you would wait for me," the girl huffed out, trying to catch a breath.

"I did wait," replied the blonde called Kurapika. "I just wanted to see which class I am in."

"You still could have waited at the entrance," muttered the black haired girl which made Kurapika smile.

"Relax Gon. I am here now. Let's go and see which class you are in, ne?" Said Kurapika.

Gon's face immediately brightened up and she nodded enthusiastically. Kurapika smiled. Gon's mood could change so easily, she was just like a five year old. Kurapika patted her sister's head. "Ok then. Come on."

xxx

"Hey Chrollo! Man, wait up.

Chrollo looked up from the book he was reading while walking. A short man came up next to him. He wondered why Feitan had asked him to wait. Feitan was fast enough to catch up with him anytime he wanted.

"Did you see him?" asked Feitan calmly pointing behind him towards the notice board where all the students were standing. Chrollo turned to look but there didn't seem to be anyone interesting enough to hold his gaze in the sea of students.

"I don't see him whoever it is you are trying to point out" he replied irritadedly. He never really liked being interrupted while reading.

"He is gone now but I swear he was there a moment ago," Feitan said with surprise.

"Who was it?" inquired Chrollo, though he wasn't really interested.

"It was a Zoldyck," replied Feitan amusedly, "And the heir to the family it seems."

Chrollo still looked unimpressed.

"And the old-timer wants to see you by the way," Feitan added.

Chrollo mentally sighed

xxx

Kurapika usually wasn't the person who spent time reminiscing. Gon and Aunt Mito sometimes complained that she was still stuck in the past. She always vehemently denied it saying it was only a particular aspect of her past from which anyone would find difficult to move on. Still, walking along the corridor beside her sister, she couldn't help but think about her past year. Kurapika had always hated her school. Or her middle school to be more precise. She had been lonely from the start. It all went downhill after _that_ happened.

Her first year of high school had been extremely dull. She had topped all the subjects as was expected from her. The only thing worth any interest was the some extremely interesting personalities who transferred to the school in the middle of her first year.

Gon was in awe, watching her new school with her forever curious eyes. Her elder sister was walking beside her quietly, observing her every move with those calm eyes of hers. Gon, unlike her sister, really liked school. And this was her first time visiting a school this big. Swindler's High really was a work of beauty. Academically, it boasted of the finest results in the country. The school itself was a feat of engineering at its best. For Gon though, the only reason she was so happy was because the school had a small forest of sorts which had the best animals she had ever seen.

"Ne I like this school very much Kurapika! How come you never told me it is this good?" asked Gon with her bright shining eyes. "I LOVE this place!"

Kurapika smiled. Gon really is extremely adorable.

"Oi Kurapika!"

Kurapika sighed. She turned to meet Leorio, the fourth year student who had a habit of irritating her in the most unlikeliest of ways.

"I had been looking for you everywhere! Where the hell were you? The principal wants to see you. Don't worry, it's nothing bad" Leorio added hastily upon seeing Kurapika's eyes widen in alarm. Finally, he noticed Gon who had taken a step back due to Leorio's yelling.

"Hey Gon," he said, smiling down at her. Gon cheerfully smiled back at him. They had met before a few times when Kurapika had brought him to their house. He and Gon got along reasonably well. Kurapika smiled at her sister. She looked so grown-up in her new uniform.

"Kurapika, get your butt to the Principal's office right now. Gon has to get to the auditorium for orientation in five minutes," yelled Leorio before he stalked off towards the auditorium, Gon immediately following in his wake.

xxx

Kurapika knocked at the door of the Principal's office and a gruff male voice told her to enter. She opened the door and found a certain young man with black hair and a bandage wrapped around his head standing in front of principal Zenzi. Kurapika bowed her head a little in order to show some respect, although she felt otherwise. Zenzi was a known pervert. Kurapika had noticed the lecherous looks he gave towards the female students and young female teachers. But no trouble had ever risen between him and the school, so Kurapika supposed he was alright. Still, she was glad that Chrollo was in the room with her.

"Ahh Freeces! Sit down sit down you two." They obediently sat down on the plush chintz chairs. Kurapika observed that the Principal looked a tad bit distracted and (was it a trick of the light?)scared. Zenzi looked at her when he talked and tried to ignore Chrollo completely. He didn't seem fazed though, Kurapika noted, by this lack of recognition. Chrollo Lucilfer was one of the brightest students in her year and she and him had topped their class simultaneously. Besides being a genius, Chrollo was good looking and there were rumors that his father was some big-shot mafia lawyer. Inevitably, he was always the most popular person on campus. Kurapika had never talked to him, despite spending half a year in the same class (he had transferred from some other school in the middle of the year). Kurapika had, for some reason she couldn't explain even to herself, always regarded him with some suspicion. He always reminded her of a spider.

Kurapika clenched her fists a little. _No, don't think of that now._

"So Miss Freeces, as you know, among the first year students whoever is at the top of the merit list is given the honor of joining the student council. However, in this case, we have two."

Zenzi paused and looked at both of them. Kurapika noticed that he looked a bit nervous when his eyes fell on Chrollo. Then he continued.

"The Council with the principal's permission decided to take a vote. And uh," he glanced at Chrollo who almost beamed at him, "They chose Chrollo."

Kurapika wasn't surprised. Chrollo was more popular than her. Besides, being in the Council would be nothing but a huge drag. She only stared at the principal with her characteristic unemotional face. However, Zenzi mistook her apathy for moroseness.

"Don't be disheartened Miss Freeces. You only lost by a margin of four votes." Zenzi reached out a hand to take out two papers from his desk. He handed each one of them to her and Chrollo.

"We decided to make you the representative of all the second year students, Miss Freeces. This is a list of duties you are expected to fulfill and that," Zenzi indicated the sheet Chrollo was holding, "are the dates of the student council meetings for the rest of the year. I am sorry this is at such a short notice but the Council came to this decision only yesterday. You may both go to the auditorium now. I'll accompany you both there."All three of them stood up. Zenzi opened the door and let his students walk out first before he followed them. He lagged a little behind both of them, trying to keep his expression as blank as possible.

That Lucilfer kid sure is a pain to deal with.

xxx

Gon stared at the stage with an absolutely nonplussed face. _What the heck was_ Kurapika doing there? It wasn't like her sister to hide something from her. Something that would bring Kurapika in front of the entire school had to be something important. Gon was broken out of her reverie when the Principal started to speak.

"Welcome to Swindler's High school everyone. It's always refreshing to see fresh young minds at the beginning of every year. We hope..." Gon's mind had drifted off by then. She tried to catch Kurapika's eye but failed. So she tried to observe her older sister but could only register that Kurapika looked extremely rigid, almost as if she was being forced to do something she didn't want to do.

Kurapika wasn't sure if the looks the other class representatives were directing towards her was appraising or simply hostile. Either way, she didn't like the attention. Kurapika knew she didn't deserve the responsibility. Usually the class representative was a person who commanded the respect of all three sections of each class. She was sure that almost nobody of her class knew her. It seemed to her like the committee was almost desperate to have her in some sort of official position.

"... and these are your new class representatives for this year."

The only reason she registered the Principal's words was because a very fat looking student (the class representative for the third years, Kurapika's mind registered) had quite subtly pinched her arm and had given her a warning glare. He seemed to be the only one who had noticed her spacing out. Kurapika gave him a grateful smile and stood up with the rest of the class representatives while Zenzi introduced them to the packed auditorium.

What she missed was the fact that other than her sister's, there were eight pair of eyes looking at her quite intently.

xxx

Gon wasn't sure if she felt proud or simply angry.

How dare Kurapika not tell her about this class representative thingy. If her sister was intending it to be a surprise for her, it wasn't a very good one.

When they were finally allowed to leave the auditorium, Gon stomped out of the place looking extremely distraught. She hadn't yet made new friends and that was saying something.

Gon could be friends with the grumpiest person on earth. Her innate ability to see the good in almost everything and cheerful disposition had made her the apple of almost everyone's eyes back at her old home. Kurapika often warned her saying that she was probably much too friendly with people. Still, she believed that smiling at everyone made everyone happy.

Gon was so preoccupied with her thoughts that it took her a while to register that someone was calling her. When she did realize she was being called and by whom, her frown had now deepened into a scowl.

"Gon wait!" yelled Kurapika, running after her sister. She had been trying to look for her ever since she was allowed to leave the auditorium. She knew that Gon would be pissed.

Gon finally stopped but when she turned to look at Kurapika, her expression did not show any anger. Instead, she looked a bit sad.

"Gon?"

And all of a sudden, Kurapika felt the wind get knocked out of her as Gon gave her a bone-crushing death hug.

"Oh my God Kurapika! You could have told me before that you have become a class representative! I was so angry at you! It wasn't at all a good surprise! We could have thrown you a party! Aunt Mito would have been so happy..."

It took Kurapika a while to extricate herself from Gon's grip. When she finally managed it, Gon still looked depressed and a voice behind her said, "Uh, excuse me?" Both the girls turned to look at a silver haired boy with cerulean blue eyes. In Kurapika's opinion, the hair made the boy stand out way too much but it surprisingly made him look good. He was eyeing them apprehensively almost as if he was embarrassed to ask what was on his mind.

"Uhh," he cleared his throat, "Do you happen to know where class 1B is?" He looked distinctly uncomfortable now.

"That's my class," Gon replied. She smiled brightly. "Let's go there together ne", she said to him. At this, Kurapika raised an eyebrow.

"Gon, do you know where your class is?" she asked cautiously. At this, Gon's face fell again.

"I knew it," Kurapika muttered under her breath. Unfortunately, Gon heard her and pouted. The boy now gave off distinct vibes of wariness. "It's right at the end of the third floor corridor", she said kindly to the boy.

"Thank you..." and the boy cut off hastily.

"Kurapika" she supplied easily, "and this is my sister Gon." Gon extended her arm out but the boy still seemed embarrassed. Nevertheless he shook Gon's outstretched hand.

"Killua," he turned his head to Kurapika,"Thanks for the directions Sempai."

"You are welcome."

"Let's go," said Killua, "I don't want to be late on my first day here."This finally seemed to make Gon come back to her senses.

"Yeah let's", said Gon and grabbing Killua's hand, made him follow in her wake.

xxx

"Ne Killua, where are you from? You don't look like someone who lives in the city."

Killua looked at the girl sitting beside him and felt a wave of irritation wash over him. It wasn't that he had something against the fairer sex . It was simply annoying plus embarrassing to have their class stare at him the entire first day of school because 1) he entered with a girl, 2) he was late and 3) his hair was silver. And to top it all the girl beside her simply wouldn't _stop_ talking. She was the exact opposite of her older sister who was sitting from across him with a thick book resting on her lap. However, even if it were two girls keeping him company Killua did not mind. The alternative was much worse.

"I am from the Padokia continent," he muttered in answer to the girl's question. "But my dad's business brought the family here a few years back. I stayed back in Padokia to complete my middle school term."

The girl's mouth turned a perfect circular "O." He hoped she would stop staring at him and start eating her food.

"You stayed there alone?"

 _Who was he kidding?_

 _"_ Gon, give him a break. He has to eat", the older sister said, not glancing up from her book. The raven haired girl finally started eating while Killua silently thanked Kurapika by passing her his lunchbox (he never did quite like chili pepper in his salad). The girl beside him stuffed some food in her mouth and swallowed and resumed looking at him. It took her exactly three minutes. Killua was impressed.

"So you stayed in Padokia alone?" she asked again in that curious voice of hers. Killua shook his head in answer to her question.

"Nah, my brother lived there with me. He helps my father with his work. He stayed back and looked after the company branch there."

"You have your own business?"

 _Be patient Killua. It is a virtue._

"Ummm, yeah."

"Wow!" Gon looked impressed."My dad works for a private company. My aunt runs a bar and I think it's an impressive job but wow, owning an entire company? That's so great!"

"It isn't." Killua muttered. Gon was probably going to go on with her tirade of questions and exclamations but again, Kurapika saved him.

"Thank you for the food Killua. It was nice to meet you. But I have to go now. I hope we see each other soon." Saying which, Kurapika got up, smiled and picking up her book, went away in the direction of the school library.

 _Traitor._

xxx

There were moments when all Chrollo Lucilfer wanted to do was sleep. Like right now, when Paku was lecturing him on the various 'responsibilities' he now had to fulfill as a student council member.

As if he didn't have enough on his plate already. Besides, he laid the foundation for their group, didn't that count for something? Apparently Pakunoda thought otherwise. She thwacked a stack of papers in front of his face which Chrollo eyed extremely warily.

"Pay attention", she said quietly and that, if possible, made him feel a teensy bit scared for a moment. "This is not like the Troupe. It is just a load of paperwork but you cannot afford to make any mistake. We cannot help you here thanks to _his_ minions." Chrollo could sense the venom in her voice. All the female members in his little 'Troupe' spoke in identically venomous voices whenever the slightest reference to Zenzi was made. At first when he had come to this school, he had no idea why the entire female population hated their principal. Then he once walked in with Zenzi almost molesting Paku and understood why. He would have threatened the older man but Paku all but broke every bone in his face. Ever since, he made a note to himself to never ever argue with her. Plus, he also realized the power their benefactor's name carried for a mere student like Paku to dare to do that to their Principal.

"Yes Paku, I know." He replied curtly. Dammit they were in the same class, why did she always talk to him like he was some sulky little teenage girl?

They were in the council room, waiting for other members to appear in order to introduce themselves to Chrollo. It was just a formality as he was friends with seven of the twelve Council members. Zenzi had once thought that it was some complicated plan for him and his friends to gain power against him which was totally untrue. If he had wanted, Chrollo could have replaced that perverted old geezer a long time back. It wasn't his fault that his friends were geniuses _and_ popular. Besides, that idiot probably hadn't realized that no one liked being in the Council. It was just a load of lectures on discussing events and how to maintain discipline. There was a reason only the top-scoring students were chosen. Somebody had to make them do some work other than studying. But then again...being in the Council had its perks too.

"Oi" called out a blond boy who clapped him on the shoulder and grinned at him. Chrollo grinned right back and surveyed the people who came in through the door. All the Council members had come in and he finally got to know the four boring members who did most of the work. Although they weren't friends, Paku and these four were the only ones who talked about school matters during a Council meeting. The rest of them usually snored through it. He managed to forget their names in about three seconds. After fifteen minutes, he was listening to Paku droning on about something concerning the dustbins near the school canteen. Two minutes into the lecture and he could feel his eyelids fighting to stay open. The only reason he sat through that torture was deep respect for Paku. Besides, he had got a window seat. So every time he felt like using his chemistry book for a pillow he tried to concentrate on the people milling around in the school ground. It wasn't a great distraction because all it did was remind him of the fact that people could go home and rest while he was stuck here listening to how the stupid canteen needed more of those unattractive green things. From the corner of his eyes he noticed Shalnark dozing off which made him feel a tiny bit better about himself.

Suddenly he noticed a flash of silver down among the people moving about in the grounds. Chrollo tries looking for the sudden shine that caught his eye. His eyes widen a bit for the first time in the course of Paku's lecture because the silvery shine was due to someone's _hair._ Bizarre hair colors he was used to but teens usually dyed their hair in primary bright colors. He had yet to see a guy (it had to be a guy, the person wasn't wearing a skirt) sporting a style that was better suited to much older men.

"Chrollo" calls out Paku.

Damn it. And just when he got his eyes to finally stay open.

 **Next Chapter:**

 _Killua learns the hard way that High School students don't get to sleep in oon weekends._

 **I know, I know it is a pretty crappy first chapter. Hopefully it will get better with the plot I have in mind. Please people, do leave a review. I will love to read your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _Hunter X Hunter will become mine the day I find leprechaun gold and use it to buy the copyrights from Togashi._

 **Chapter Summary:** _Some conversations take place.  
_ **I want to thank two things for helping me churn out this chapter. First is** **Chocoholic221B** **'s amazing (First) review. It motivated me enough to finish this chapter within two days. Second is the commute time it takes to reach my uni. If I was a dedicated and a not so lazy author, I probably would have finished three more chapters. Oh and yes, I thought this chapter was going to be Killua-centric but it turned out very differently. I am sorry to let all the Killua fans down (for now.) I promise I'll write him more in the future!**

 **Sunday Mornings**

Killua hated three things in his life.

a) His mom.

b) His two older brothers.

c) His brand new phone.

And his hatred stemmed from the fact that he had to wake up before eight every Sunday morning.

No matter what most people said about him being a spoilt brat, he sincerely believed he was missing out on the most important luxuries life had to offer. He couldn't sleep in till nine every weekend, he was expected to perform brilliantly in all subjects from the first week itself and he wasn't allowed to have any secrets.

He should have known that when Illumi gifted him the latest Smartphone in the market it wasn't meant for his benefit. His oldest brother somehow found time to call him up at every hour of each day without fail. In case he ignored his call, then it was his mother saying he-is-your-older-brother-show-some-respect like some broken record on a permanent repeat.

Lying on the bed, with his eyes closed, Killua tried to savor the few minutes he could sleep before the inevitable phone call woke him up. Just when he thought that Illumi might take a break from his obsessive behavior, his (troublesome, annoying, irritating) phone rang.

Opening his eyes slowly, he let the phone ring for a few minutes. Then he reached out his hand for the phone and accepted the call. However, the voice that greeted him wasn't his brother's.

"Killua" was the sole thing that the voice said.

"Hello Dad", Killua replied miserably.

XXX

"Gon come on! You can do it!"

Gon angrily (and hopelessly) stared at the open book in front of her. None of the letters or elephant-like symbols made any sense. She wondered for a moment how on earth was Kurapika so good at this.

Mito sighed once. Tutoring both the girls wasn't that hard. Kurapika was always eager to learn. Gon wasn't that bad either. In fact, the kid excelled in biology. The nightmare started when Mito had to sit down with Gon to make her study the most primitive of sciences.

Kurapika was sitting right beside Gon at the dining table. Mito had made it a law for her kids (she would always think of both of them as her kids) on weekends to wake up at five-thirty, finish exercising by seven, breakfast time was for thirty minutes and then four hours of undisturbed study time. After that, they got the day off to do whatever they wanted till nine in the night. Mito usually used to watch that the timetable was obeyed like a law itself while they lived back in the island. She wasn't sure how much it's holy regularity was maintained now that both of them had moved in with their father. Mito wasn't complaining though. Kurapika's grades were perfect as usual. If anything, the girl seemed to have gotten better. She wasn't sure how Gon would fare though without her guidance.

Kurapika glanced at her sister from the corner of her eye, her fingers languidly turning the page of her Chemistry book. Then she looked at the clock resting on the wall above the door. It showed 10:30. One more hour and she can get up. Unfortunately, Mito-san noticed.

"This is new. Why so distracted Kurapika?"

The sudden question brought Kurapika back to Earth from her thoughts. She flinched a little and looked up at Mito-san, immediately turning red from shame because she looked a bit disappointed. Kurapika didn't like disappointing anybody.

"It's nothing" Kurapika assured her. "I was just wondering if I should get started with Math myself." She wasn't sure if Mito-san had bought the lie but she certainly didn't question it.

Kurapika searched for her textbook from the pile of books resting next to her arm. She didn't mean to drift off but she couldn't help it. She simply couldn't wait for the clock to turn 12. Today was the day she would get to see Senritsu after six months.

Gon had finally managed to solve that problem she had been working on for the past one hour. She looked rather proud of herself when she checked the solved answer.

"Finally!" She exclaimed, throwing a fist up in the air to celebrate her victory and turning to look at her aunt. "See? I am not _that_ bad Mito-san." Mito patted her arm and looked at her open text-book. "Good job Gon. But you still have nineteen more sums to go."

Gon scowled and started to write once more with a kind of furious energy someone might reserve to stab the object of their hatred. Mito smiled wryly and turned her attention back on the blonde.

"So what is it Kurapika? Are you going to meet someone today?"

Kurapika saw no point in ignoring her aunt's question, so she said, "Yes Mito-san. I'll be meeting with Senritsu-san today."

Mito raised her eyebrows. "That's good for you Kurapika. You could have told me earlier. When are you going to meet her? Should I pack an extra lunch for you two?"

"No no Mito-san. It's alright. We will eat our lunch outside." Saying which Kurapika returned her focus to her book.

Mito silently looked at the blonde. Kurapika had become rather...secretive of late. Her elder daughter had always been rather quiet but she never expected Kurapika to not tell her family about becoming the Batch representative or having lunch with her old Music teacher. She at least expected her to talk to Gon. So being a true Freeces, Mito spoke out her mind.

"You are keeping a lot to yourself these days Kura-chan."

Kurapika gave her a startled look. Mito rarely her called 'Kura-chan' these days. It was just a nickname that everyone in the household stopped using after she turned fourteen.

"No Mito-san. I honestly didn't know about the Batch representative thing. The Principal told us about it only at the very last moment." Mito quirked an eyebrow here.

"Us?"

"Oh ah", Kurapika moved her arms here as if trying to form some sort of abstract shape in the air. "Chrollo Lucilfer was there too. He was elected to join the Student Council."

"Who's Chrollo Lucilfer?" Asked Mito curiously.

Kurapika was about to open her mouth to answer but Gon beat her to it.

"He is in Kurapika's class. He and Kurapika were the ones who tied in the finals of last year. He is very nice." Gon said, now looking up from her book.

Both Kurapika and Mito rounded on the youngest girl in the room.

"How do you know him?" continued Mito with her questions.

"He is nice? Have you been talking to him?" Kurapika asked warily.

"Oh it's nothing. I had gone to submit my club application form to the Council room last Thursday. He was the one who took my form. He saw my name and asked if I was your sister. So then we talked and he told me about how you two were tied to join the Council and stuff."

"What else did you two talk about? It wasn't about me was it?" Kurapika asked worriedly. It wouldn't do to have an outsider know about her real relationship with the Freeces family.

"Don't worry Kurapika!" Gon replied indignantly, "I wouldn't say a word about you that you don't want others to know. Besides, he was asking about Ging."

"Ging?" Both Mito and Kurapika asked, surprised.

"Yeah, he said that his Dad knew Ging from a previous job and used to talk a lot about him."

Well, how...unexpected. A person who is supposed to be a lawyer knew Ging. Their father had never discussed his work life with them but Kurapika wondered what kind of a 'job' would an archaeologist like Ging have with a person rumored to be working for the Mob. Besides if Chrollo Lucilfer knew about Ging, why didn't he just ask her?

Finally, Mito broke the succeeding silence with:

"You two! Concentrate! Or else we all will be missing lunch!"

XXX

Chrollo always had to stifle a laugh every single time he saw his school's name. A school named Swindler's High. Imagine that.

Right now he was holding a cup of coffee and sitting inside Pakunoda's room, watching her go through some forms that had the school logo on it. He tried not to giggle every single time he saw that logo but it's an extremely difficult task, he realized, when the coffee one is drinking kept making conspicuous bubble bursting noises. Finally, Pakunoda threw him an irritated glare.

"You don't look all that sleepy to me. There are still two more stacks to go", she pointed at her desk which was littered with official looking papers that Chrollo knew were the membership forms for the various school clubs. "Get up and do some work."

"You seem to be doing just fine without me," Chrollo muttered under his breath. He would simply not understand Paku's obsession with this Student Council work. Even more, how she managed to study after finishing all this work was a bigger mystery. Still, he got up and picked up those forms with a sigh, sat down beside her and started arranging them neatly and categorically.

After ten minutes (it felt like ten hours to Chrollo) of silently arranging the membership forms that they would pass on to the different clubs, Pakunoda said, "Who was that girl you were talking to last Thursday?"

Pakunoda's tone was mildly curious and she wasn't looking up. Chrollo thanked his lucky stars that she couldn't see the look on his face because honestly, he couldn't remember which girl he had been talking to just yesterday.

"That girl you were talking to about Ging," Pakunoda said, not even bothering to look up this time either. She knew him well enough to know that he won't remember. Thankfully though, he seemed to remember this girl, moreover, he even remembered the girl's name this time around.

"Oh you mean Gon Freeces?"

At the name, Pakunoda looked up, surprised.

"Freeces? I didn't know Kurapika has a sister."

Chrollo nodded. "Yeah, it came as a shock to me too. What's more, she is the exact opposite of Kurapika. She is friendly, loves sports and is generally far more interesting than her older sister."

Pakunoda arched one elegant eyebrow. "Kurapika isn't interesting?" Chrollo made a face here.

"Kurapika is _so_ boring. Does she ever look up from those books of hers?" He asked vehemently.

Pakunoda snorted. "That's a bit rich coming from you."

"At least I read comics and stuff. Have you ever seen her reading _something_ other than books we only open before the exams?" He defended himself.

Pakunoda sighed. "You just don't like her because she came jointly first with you. Most of the guys in our class want to ask her out. You have seen her in gym; she is really good at sports too. Besides, unlike some people I know," she eyed the small stack of papers resting in front of him, "She is incredibly helpful and always gets a job done if someone asks her to."

Chrollo blinked. "I didn't know you were such a big fan of hers."

"Not a fan. I consider her my friend. Unlike you, she takes notes in class _and_ remembers to share them with me in case I have to go for Council duty."

Chrollo frowned.

"Anyways, why were you talking about Ging with her? I thought that you were going to ask Kurapika about him."

"Like I said she is far more friendly. Plus, it doesn't look like she would bite my head off any time soon. By the way, how do you know that we were discussing about Ging?"

Pakunoda returned her focus to the forms. Picking up one and examining an application, she said, "I was going to the room when I heard 'Ging'. I thought it was Kurapika so I peeked. But it was someone else so I went away." She stayed quiet for a few minutes. Chrollo was about to go back to the work at hand when he heard his partner say, "Did you learn anything?"

He shrugged. "Other than the fact that last Saturday was the older Freeces's birthday, nothing much."

 **Next Chapter:** _Senritsu makes an appearance._

 **Replies to Angels**

 **Chocoholic221B:** I promise you one thing, the karma bus will hit Zenzi and it will hurt. A lot. The romance will take some time (I have never written romance before so I don't know how to go about it. Honestly, I have never written anything much unless you count the essays I wrote out for every Grammar tests). Oh and yes, a BIG THANK YOU for being my first ever reviewer and leaving such a motivating and fantastic review (and also for thinking my version of Pika is in character). By all means, stalk my story, I don't mind (it's comforting to know someone is liking this shit). I wanted to combine my love for younger Danchou and High School AUs and so ta-da, this fic was born. Yes, I too vote for more Chain Pair High School AUs. I am sorry I cannot answer almost all your questions. It would give away a lot of my plot but I am going to give you one spoiler though. Yes, adoption is involved in this fic. And please, when I started reading your fic, my mind was blown as to how can someone write something this good within a week (I love your works. Trust me, you are my teacher here.) And yeah, I didn't add those character tags before because well, I didn't know how to (there, I admitted it. Technology and I just don't get along). So after 30 minutes of YouTube tutorials and internet surfing, I have got a basic hang on how to go about using this site. Still, Thanks for the advice!

 **Slyside:** Thank you for liking this fic! I am glad you find it interesting and I promise to continue it.

 **Guest:** :) I am Seriously (See? The S is in capital) happy that you like this. So here's a new chapter for you. And there will be more, you have my solemn word.

 **Alix the Guest:** High School AUs are my guilty pleasure. I was starving for one in the HxH fandom but as there isn't much; I decided to make content myself. And you are the second person who likes my version of Pika so a big THANK YOU to you too!(Actually the character I am worried about is Gon. He isn't dumb, just innocent for a twelve year old. I hope I don't end up making him look like an idiot.) Thanks for leaving a review! Hope you stay for the rest of the story!

 **And to all those who followed and favourited this story, I will send you a virtual chocolate cookies as soon as I figure out how to.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _HxH is not mine neither will it ever be._

 **Chapter Summary:** _Killua meets the gang._

 **I am really, really not happy with this chapter. Maybe it's because of post exam blues or something but this chapter could have been so much more. It all feels extremely rushed in this one. I might edit it if I feel like it (Lol who am I kidding? I never get that kind of motivation). Besides nothing much happens in this one except for one thing that would come back waaaaay later. So anyways here is chapter 3 of AN. Oh and by the way, can anybody tell me how to get this site to show emojis and special characters? I saw a few fics where the author used emojis and I wanted to do it too but I just don't get it why they aren't showing mine.**

Meetings and Celebrations

Senritsu was a diminutive woman with a bald patch on her head. She was sitting near the window seat of the cafe they were supposed to meet in.

Kurapika hurried to meet her, smiling and slipping in the seat in front of her old Music teacher. Senritsu smiled back at her and asked, "You didn't bring Gon today?"

Kurapika nodded her head. "She said that she would come later with Leorio."

Senritsu said nothing for a few moments as she sipped her latte. In the mean time, Kurapika placed her order (coffee with heaps with sugar and cream).

"So anything interesting happening in school Kurapika?" asked Senritsu with a smile.

"You bet", Kurapika grouched. "I am a Batch representative now."

Senritsu almost reminded her of a fish with the way her eyes widened to look like saucepans. "That's great Kurapika! Congratulations!"

Kurapika pouted, "But that just means more work."

"Well serves you right for always trying to stay at the top. You need to do other jobs too you know." The older woman said while stirring her cup. Watching Kurapika puff out her cheeks at the tiniest hint of a pout was almost worth it.

"Anyways, how are you?" asked Kurapika, smiling lightly. If Senritsu's palor was anything to go by, her health was improving.

"I am good. The treatment has finally paid off I guess." Senritsu said and smiled. "I'll be fine Kurapika."

"That's good."

"Oh and yes, before I forget," her old teacher exclaimed as she suddenly reached for the bag she had kept beside her and started rummaging through it. Kurapika looked on in curiosity as Senritsu kept muttering 'Where is it' and 'I kept it right here' for three minutes until finally, the older woman pulled out a book from her bag. She turned to face Kurapika once more and gave her old student a dazzling smile and said, "Happy belated birthday Kura-chan!"

When Kurapika looked at the title of the book, she felt tears stinging at the corner of her eyes.

XXX

Killua was honestly wondering what he had done to deserve such good luck. He hummed a little as he looked at the window of a pastry shop. The tantalizing display of cakes and pretty pastries made him smile a little. Soon enough, he can eat as much as he wants of those.

 _If only Alluka was here._

His smile turned a little sad as he remembered his younger sister. Still, he knew that wherever she was, she must be happy. He had made sure of that one thing.

"Killua!"

Oh no. That shout was way too familiar.

"Hey Killua! What'cha doing here?"

Killua turned to look at a girl with raven hair that ended in green tips. As much as he _craved_ for some peace and quiet, he didn't mind meeting his new classmate in the middle of a busy street with people strolling around. He smiled and waved his arm at the girl who made his way towards him. Killua narrowed his eye a little as he saw a tall and lanky man wearing glasses following her. His expression cleared when he saw that his classmate turn back and say something excitedly to the man behind her. Obviously she knew him, there was no reason to be alarmed.

Finally, the two managed to reach him in the crowd. The tall guy who was following his classmate stumbled to an unceremonious stop after tripping against a shopper's bag. He tried to retain his dignity by fixing his tie and coughing a little while giving Killua a very obvious once-over. Killua decided that it probably wasn't worth it to ask the guy why he was wearing formals on a weekend.

"Hey Killua!" His classmate enthusiastically greeted him, "This is Leorio", she pointed a finger at the lanky man beside her. The guy raised an arm in greeting and gave him a small smile. Killua raised his arm in greeting too.

"Hello Gon. Nice to meet you Leorio."

"I didn't see you around before in school but Gon was telling me about you on the way here. Nice to meet'ya kid." The lanky guy said while extending an arm in a sign of acceptance. Killua however, only stared at him.

"You are in our school?" Killua asked. He was sure that there was a look of disbelief etched on his face.

Leorio blinked. "Yes of course. I am in the final year. I usually spend most of the time at my apartment these days. You know I have to study for the upcoming med-exams and stuff. I usually go to school now only to visit the library..."

"How many grades were you held back?" Killua asked, rudely cutting him off.

As he watched Leorio turn purple in anger and lunge at him yelling, "I am only seventeen" with Gon holding the guy back from committing homicide, Killua figured that maybe his Mom had a point when she said that he was in dire need of a filter for his mouth.

Gon finally managed to calm Leorio down (he probably had shut up because people were starting to stare). Leorio still kept throwing murderous looks at him so Gon took his hand and started moving a little ahead of him.

"If you aren't busy, would you like to come with us?" She asked. Killua noted that her irises were a pretty shade of hazel and they did an incredible job of giving her a puppy-eyed look. With that smile of hers, she looked a lot like Alluka.

He really should give his sister a call, thought Killua, if he was going to see her everywhere he went today.

"Where are you going?" He asked instead.

"To the Lovely Chocó Cafe. It's right at the end of this street. We are celebrating Kurapika's birthday! It was actually on last Saturday but I had just shifted so we didn't get much time to celebrate it so we..."

"Ok sure why not?" Killua replied hurriedly. Maybe there was going to be a cake. He wasn't about to pass up this chance but then he realized...

"I can't get a gift this soon for her Gon."

Gon simply smiled. "It's alright, Kurapika won't mind. She would just be glad that you came. Besides, the more the merrier right?" saying which, she started dragging him once more.

Killua noticed that lanky Leorio was not happy about this addition.

XXX

Kurapika was the first one to notice them coming. She waved at them from the cafe window to catch their attention. Gon was the one who noticed (obviously) and she yelled something at Leorio and Killua.

Wait, Killua?

No, Kurapika's eyes were not failing her, that shock of silver could only belong to one person.

Gon pretty much skipped towards them while Leorio kept trying not to stumble against the congested cafe's rickety furniture. Killua was the only one who managed to carry himself gracefully.

"There isn't enough space for all of us here", Senritsu pointed out. "Should we go outside?"

"Yes", Kurapika acquiesced. Gon suggested that they should go to the park and she led the way out. They reached there after two minutes and found a quiet shady place by a tree. Considering the summer heat, they were extremely lucky, Kurapika decided. After they had settled down and Killua was introduced to Senritsu and vice versa (Gon and Leorio had gone to get ice-creams and any kind of fast food they could lay their hands on), Kurapika asked him, "Did Gon call you up?"

"No", he replied. "I came around to see the town since I didn't get a chance these past few days. Gon and Leorio bumped into me near a pastry shop. She asked me that I could come if I wasn't busy. So ahh," he added sheepishly, "Happy Belated Birthday."

Kurapika smiled at him. "Thank you for coming Killua. This is my ex-music teacher, Senritsu-san."

"So you are good friends with Gon huh", Senritsu said, giving Killua an impish sort of look. "Were you class partners or did you approach her?"

Killua blushed rather easily, Kurapika realized. And when he did, his pale skin and shock of silver mane made it all the more prominent. It kind of made him look like a tomato with a silver calyx instead of green. He looked cute though.

"No it's nothing like that!" He exclaimed almost ready to cross his hands in denial. "I just approached her for directions that's all."

Kurapika was honestly scared by the smirk that Senritsu gave him. If anything, it made the silverette teenager's blush intensify.

"That's what a kid had said back in Whale island", her teacher replied, smirk still firmly in place. "He followed Gon around for more than a week and cried when he had to leave her."

Both Senritsu and Kurapika observed that Killua did not defend himself all that much. But the way his skin became even more red made Senritsu take pity on him and decide that this particular line of enquiry could be left for later. Kurapika however frowned. She was going to keep a close watch on this kid.

"Hey we are back!" They heard Gon's voice all of a sudden. "We got loads of stuff from that...," she stopped short when her eyes found Killua. "Killua, are you sick? You are so red."

"No no I am fine. It's just the heat." Senritsu did not fail to notice the slight tremor in his voice after the first 'No'. It made her grin a little.

In the end, Killua did not get his cake. He was subtly teased a lot instead by a Senritsu who kept hiding her smile behind her butterscotch flavored ice-cream. But it was nice finding out that he wasn't the only one who thought that Leorio was over forty.

 **Next Chapter:** _Gon learns a new thing about Killua and their school._

 **Some musings:** In an AU where there is no nen, who do you think will win in a fight between Kurapika and Shizuku?

 **Replies to angels (and super motivators)**

 **Chocoholic221B:** Your romance advice was…nice. The kind of nice that made me almost want to abandon this fic and write exactly according to your specifications because really, I am a sucker for a protective, possessive and jealous Chrollo who is exasperated by Pika's cluelessness about his feelings (Okay I loved your idea and I am already wondering how should I go about writing a fic using it. Tsundere Chrollo, now that would be something. Imagine a fic with Kura being the forward one and Danchou being tsun and turning to the clown for 'love' advice. I don't get it why this pedophilic maniac clown is so good about giving advice on these kind of matters though.) AN is going to be a little different however with the plot I have thought out (I still am going to take your advice though about noticing the little stuff.) Chrollo here does not show any interest in Pika because I feel Chrollo is the kind of character who would not take any interest in any one else unless they show some specific trait that would be of use to him (Cause he's all about taking advantage). Kurapika hasn't done anything worth catching his eye so far. She is rather reclusive here who only opens up to Gon and Leorio to some extent. He just isn't going to bother himself because right now, Gon appears more interesting to him (things will change soon enough. I did mention about him not liking hyperactive teenage girls.) A detective fem!Pika? I am already favouriting it because I live for mystery and Kura being a smart-ass.

And big sister Pakunoda FTW. Actually she is not happy with Chrollo being a slacker 90 percent of the time when it comes to studies and school work (this man only lives for his Troupe.) So Kura being the only model student other than her led to these blonde birdies flocking together. And boy, I liked and loved **Scarlet Magic**. Especially the open-ended ending has been doing things to my imagination (I think I have written a companion fic for yours in my head instead of focusing on getting my story together. Don't worry, I am not slacking off, I promise).Well, in my country people do use 'bae' but not so much in spoken English. They usually use it while updating their WhatsApp statuses lmao. Yup Gon is freaking adorable. What's funny is that he is complex in his own naïve way but he appears simple in most people's eyes. I was going to write more GonKillu interactions here but ultimately, I chickened out. Well, I promise there will be more Gon in the upcoming chapters. Her and Chrollo and Pika (it's all in context to this fanfic.) Leorio and Killua must be cursing me right now. Maybe they are cursing Togashi too (who knows?). Thanks for the fabulous, motivating, promising and super long review Senpai! I am not gonna go on any hiatuses I promise.

 **slyside:** Let's get together and curse technology okay? And Togashi's hiatuses too (Are there any Hunter X Hunter fans who don't do that?) I am going to try and make the chapters longer (My limit is around 2500 words.) This one wasn't good enough though. I am sorry to let you down here. Hopefully the next chapter might be an improvement. You'll be writing a Chain Pair High School AU too? Count me in, I'll be there. Btw is your health better now? Thanks for reviewing my friend! I hope to hear from you again!

 **Guest:** I read your review while I was at a class and it made me blush. Need I tell you what happened when my classmates noticed? They thought it was a digital love-letter or something which, for the record, I have never received in my life (digital or otherwise).Poor Gon, she has strict Mito and knowledge lover Pika monitoring her grades in this fic (This poor kid won't be catching a break here anytime soon.) Thank you for liking my characterization! It really means so much to me! And let's hope you continue to like it when once the romance kicks in.

 **For the followers and favoriters: Still haven't figured out how to send people virtual cookies. But I still am grateful for paying this story your time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** _Not mine. Never will be._

 **Chapter Summary:** _Gaining knowledge and making plans._

 **I really did not mean to take so long to update. But my computer got fried and after formatting, I lost all my notes (it's been a week and I am still crying.) I haven't been slacking off though I promise! I have written half of chapter five, I just might post it next week!**

 **Back to School**

Gon liked the routine of school. Her grades were fine, gym was incredible and she had already made friends with at least one person from each year. Killua had soon become her best friend though. She found him _interesting_ (even if he tended to act like a conceited brat most of the time). However, she hadn't failed to notice how almost everyone seemed to avoid him. At first, she had thought that it was due to him being bratty but a conversation at the girl's washroom changed it all.

It happened on a Wednesday morning right after a History class. Gon was washing her hands at that time. There was only another blue-haired girl there who stood by another basin, trying to fix her uniform. Gon had been about to leave when the girl had asked, "Excuse me, do you have a safety pin right now?"

Gon checked her pockets. Finding nothing she shook her head. "I am sorry I cannot help you."

The other girl sighed. "It's fine, don't worry." She checked her reflection in the mirror. "It's just that this button has come off loose and I don't know how to fix it. Is it very apparent?"

"No you look fine."

The girl smiled. "Thank you. I am Neon by the way."

"Nice to meet you Neon-san. I am Gon."

"Gon..." the girl mused. Her eyes widened a little. "Aren't you Kurapika's sister?"

"Yes"

"Wow you look a lot different from her. And aren't you friends with that Zoldyck kid?"

"Yes." Gon wasn't irritated. She was just worried that she would miss her next class if this girl kept asking her questions. She decided to check her watch to subtly let her know that she would be , the other girl got the messeage.

"I am sorry I am holding you up. What class do you have now?" She asked (she definitely did not look sorry). "Maybe we can meet during recees. How about it?"

"Ahhh." Gon wasn't sure what to say. Killua hadn't come to school that day and Kurapika would probably make a dash for the library once she finished eating. There were others she could join like Chrollo Senpai but he hadn't asked so...

"Do you mind if I bring Kurapika along?"

Neon beamed at her.

"Of course you can. I am in the same class as her. You can come and meet us there."

So soon enough after a Maths class, Gon found herself walking with Kurapika and Neon towards the shade of the school courtyard. Kurapika didn't look all that happy about their lunch arrangement and Gon soon enough understood why.

Neon liked gossiping. So far, the only topics that she brought up was "Did you know that Pakunoda and that senior Shalnark live at Chrollo's place?" and "I won the mummy of Princess Corco all by myself in the last Southernbees auction!"

After what felt like an hour where Neon babbled all by herself and neither her or her older sister managed to get a word in (Kurapika had long since abandoned any attempts at conversing and concentrated on her food), Neon finally said:

"So do you usually sit with Killua during breaks?"

"Yes" replied Gon shortly (she had lost track of what Neon was saying the last 10 minutes).

"That's so nice of you. I hate this stigma attatched to these Mob kids. He has done nothing wrong!"

"Mob?" Kurapika asked. Contrary to a few seconds earlier, she now seemed to be hanging on every word that Neon was saying.

Neon looked surprised. "You didn't know? The Zoldycks are quite famous in the Yorbian continent. I don't exactly know the nature of their work but everyone who is anyone in the underworld knows them."

After a few minutes of stunned silence wherein Kurapika stared blankly and Gon quietly finished her food, the blonde finally asked,"How do you even know this Neon?" in a hollow voice.

"Oh you get to hear all kinds of gossip from these guests at the auction. Dad was talking to some business partner of his and I heard her say something about the 'Zoldycks'. I probably would have forgotten about it if it weren't for Killua coming to our school", Neon replied airily.

Gon was not sure if that mean Neon had connections to the Mafia too. Seeing the somewhat pensive look on her older sister's face however, she resolved to ask that question later.

 **XXX**

"Kurapika"

Her sister made a small humming sound to indicate that she had heard while she brushed her shoulder length golden hair, sitting in front of the mirror resting on the dresser. Among all the things that Gon admired about her sister, the first and foremost would be her silkily smooth blonde hair. Gon had loved to feel it's soft texture when once in a blue moon Kurapika allowed her to braid it. She wasn't very proud of her own wiry raven hair so much, whose maintenance usually took up an entire bottle of shampoo. Maybe it was the reason she noticed people's hair first. Like she had noticed Killua's.

"Did you notice? The school seems to have a lot of the Mafia kids studying there."

Her sister said nothing for a few minutes. Gon continued staring at her from her position on the bed (they shared a room). Her patience was rewarded with:

"How much do you know about the school's history Gon?"

"Well, the school was founded in xx70 and we'll be celebrating the golden jubilee this year. That's pretty much it."

Kurapika got up from the cushion to go sit on her own bed. "Let me tell you something the Principal doesn't tell us in all his long winded speeches about the school's 'rich history'," air quoting rich history, "The school was originally set up by a Mafia family. It's a known fact. Don't ask me why though!" She added hastily when she saw Gon open her mouth to ask a question. "My guess is that the Mafia families must be still funding the school, so it must be easy to get their children admission here without going through all those paperwork trouble."

"Why would the Mob bother with funding a school?" Kurapika shrugged.

"Dunno. I can only make assumptions. They probably want their kids to socialize or something."

"That's a weird and stupid reason Kurapika."

"I know I know. It's only a theory."

Gon stayed silent for a few minutes. Then she rolled on her stomach to lie flat on her bed. Kurapika switched off the room's light after laying down on her bed and pulled her comforter up to her waist. It was a warm summer night, she knew she would be kicking it away as the night progressed but she had left a window open. The cool breeze at dawn could give them a cold.

Their first floor room was now covered in the silvery pale light of the full moon. Kurapika shifted on her bed a little when she heard her sister say:

"You should not be anywhere near the Mafia."

Kurapika smiled at the dark ceiling as she thought about Killua and her eccentric raven-haired classmate (she had noticed Chrollo chatting with Gon every opportunity he got.)

"I think the Mafia likes you more," Kurapika replied before turning to left and muttering 'Good night.'

 **XXX**

"Killua what the hell are _you doing_?"

Killua did not bother looking away from the flat-screen. Nor did he swallow the Chocorobokun he was currently munching on as he replied, "Relax Aniki. It's just for tonight."

"I don't care what you have for dinner. I care that you are stealing from my share of chocolates you brat."

Killua raised his eyebrows. "Really? But there were no labels on them Aniki." This time, he turned to look at Milluki who was now sporting an interesting shade of puce colour on his bloated face. He was itching to strangle Killua but with Kalluto present, his choices were limited. His youngest brother was staring at the television screen intently, apparently not interested in getting involved into a sibling fight.

"Just wait till Mom comes back. I am going to skin you alive Killua."

"Of course Aniki. That's till she comes back. Which is not for the next three weeks. Do you really think she is going to punish me for what I did one night?" He said while taking another mega-sized bite from Milluki's share.

"Eating chocolates for dinner is not f**king healthy!"

Killua could not help but scoff. Thankfully, he had swallowed most of the chocolate so he didn't choke.

"Like you are one to talk."

 **XXX**

Chrollo looked up at the sky once. There was nothing much to see really, the night sky looked dark purplish, the lights from the city blinding the stars. He could only make out the Pole star and the Moon.

And everyone called his hometown polluted. His lips curled a little at the irony.

Walking down a dark avenue in Meteor City would have scared him but here, in this particular town, he found that he was much stronger than the average men. He never realized that years spent scraping for food could actually help him in the future. Or maybe it was the special training he had to undergo ever since he turned eight.

The warehouse near the docks he now stood in front of did not look abandoned in the least. He at least expected that a bunch of criminals specializing in import of contraband stuff would at least be more careful, no matter how much power they held over some of the higher authorities.

Chrollo did not bother entering. One look from outside and he knew it would be a pointless venture to invest in. He remained in the shadows, watching those buffoons yell instructions at one another. The simple fact that he had gotten this close to them without anybody raising the alarm was a testament to the fact that he had wasted his time.

It was a good thing that the old man was at least keeping his promise or else he would have walked out of this amateurish deal long ago, the Elders's decisions be damned. He stepped away from the crate he had been hiding behind. As quietly and swiftly as possible, he started heading for the path leading towards the city proper.

Finding more information about this elusive Ging Freeces was proving to be much more interesting. He had absolutely no leads on him, save for his two daughters. He hadn't had a proper conversation with Gon ever since that meeting at the Council room. Most of the time the girl was around Kurapika. Or that Zoldyck kid. It was difficult to find her alone.

Rushing past a departmental store, Chrollo wondered that maybe he should heed Paku's advice and ask Kurapika about her dad instead of Gon. The blonde was a loner, his classmate, a Batch rep and he could be alone with her anytime he wanted if only he paid the library a visit. His mind immediately refuted the idea however. Kurapika was much too _guarded_. He was sure that he would be the one getting interrogated by her if he so much as asked her for the time. Chrollo prided himself on his ability to accurately read people's personalities and his mind told him that Gon would be the one from whom he could drag out information. It would take time and a lot of convincing, but Chrollo was confident that he would be able to get what he wanted.

After all, he was the leader of the best band of thieves in the making. He never fails.

 **Next Chapter:** _Chrollo asks a question. Kurapika asks too many._

 **~Replies to super motivators~**

 **slyside:** I don't want to put any pressure on you but please please please do write a Chain Pair fic.I need them like oxygen (still no pressure. I hope I'm not scaring you.) It will be an added bonus for me if it's a High School AU fic. My request is: make Killua the girl if you have to. There are just too many gender-bent Kurapikas out there (plus I don't think the Zoldycks will approve their heir having a gay relationship). I am not saying I am against same-sex relationships. I just don't think I can handle Kikyo's disapproval about who her son chooses to love. However there would be more drama if they all remain the same gender... Well, big schools are kind of a thing out here I guess? *scratches head*. The school I attended was rather small too. Maybe I am just living out a fantasy here? Relax, you can talk to me. I would love to discuss more HxH stuff cause where I am from, there are absolutely no Hunter x Hunter lovers (most of my friends love Brother's Conflict for some reason. I thought it was rather…annoying. Ema was so dead as a doornail most of the time. There again, almost all anime based on otome games are that way. It's my opinion of it anyways.) Plus I am not on any social media. It cheers me up when I find people to talk to about my likes on this platform. So yes, ramble as much as you want! (cause I am doing the same thing here.)

 **Chocoholic221B:** Have a cookie senpai. It means so much to me that you liked the dynamics. And I really did not mean to offend you. Keep posting theories because I love them. They are fodder for my imagination. God knows I need it. I won't quit I promise! Hawaiian version of Hunter x Hunter… I won't say much here but this got me thinking. I guess I will keep it a secret for now. I know the feeling my friend, of songs basically influencing whatever we write (Heck, I chose this pen name cause I was listening to Marilyn Manson at that time I thought about it.) Kurapika being such a recluse scares me at times. I think I became a bit wary when he refused to share his email id with Leorio. Hopefully Oito and Woble will be able to break that shell. Yes, it will be slow-burn but not that slow. I just might be able to work in a kiss by chapter 10. So a point for Pika in the fight. Alrighty then. And *hugs* thank you for reviewing!

 **Looshkins:** Gods yes, it will be worth the look on Chrollo's face when he figures out he has fallen for everyone's favourite blondie. He would probably be smacking his head. Let's see what happens *inset dramatic music here*.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Hunter x Hunter. If I did I would have bought a new computer by now._

 **Chapter summary:** _Kurapika experiences paranoia. Nobody notices it._

 **Happy Holidays everyone! Brought you a little Christmas gift! (I know it's still technically not Christmas but…) I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, hope you have fun reading it too!**

 **Visit**

"So Gon is still hanging out with that Killua brat, is she?"

"He isn't that bad Leorio. Just a bit impertinent that's all."

Leorio raised an eyebrow. "Just a bit?" He made it sound like a rhetoric question. Nevertheless, Kurapika replied, "He is not as detestable as you make him out to be Leorio. He didn't mean anything by that age comment."

Leorio simply huffed and sulkily stared at his book. Kurapika suddenly had an epiphany that they were acting like parents bickering over their child's welfare. It was not a charming mental image.

After a few minutes of quiet reading, Leorio asked again, "How is Gon now?"

"She is fine." The blonde replied. "The fever has just left her weak and her eyes hurt if she keeps them open for too long. And then there are the other normal symptoms like pain in the joints and constantly feeling cold," saying which, she fell silent.

"I'll visit her this weekend." He promised. "I just can't find the time during the week days now."

"It's fine." She smiled at him. " Gon won't like it if you abandon your studies to come and meet her every weekend."

Leorio said nothing, choosing to stare at the ceiling instead. Kurapika, figuring that it was alright now to focus on her book, started reading once more from where she had left off.

The librarian was glaring at them, obviously annoyed that he had missed the chance to chastise them for talking too loudly. Kurapika couldn't see what his problem was. There was no one else in the library except for them and the librarian himself (who had been intently staring at his phone screen a second ago). It wasn't like they were disturbing anybody.

After a few minutes of silence, Leorio stretched his arms out and checked his watch.

"Hey Kura, don't you have to go to the Council room at 1?"

She made an annoyed sound at the back of her throat. "Oh yes." Gathering up her notebooks, pens and bag, she stood up. "Well then, see you."

Leorio waved at her back as she walked out of the door. This representative stuff was driving her crazy with the utter pointlessness of it all. She had had enough, sending lists of the names of every student in her year to every teacher every hour of the day, yelling herself hoarse just to be heard over the other bickering Batch representatives and occassionaly, the Council Members themselves. Really, the only reason she was going through with this insanity was Pakunoda. She had it worse, dealing with at least seven incredibly indolent members in the Council.

Kurapika knocked at the door and a male voice told her to enter. Opening the door, she saw only Chrollo sitting near the window seat. He only looked up once to see who had entered and his eyes returned to the book he was reading. Well, it was good as any way to pass the time.

Sitting down on the seat closest to the door(She was going to make a beeline for her house the moment this meeting got over), Kurapika opened her History textbook. After a few minutes of quiet reading, Kurapika wondered out aloud, "Where is everybody?"

"Pakunoda went to find that out," the other occupant of the room answered. Silence descended again for a few minutes. This time, Chrollo broke it.

"Your sister didn't come to school today." It was meant to be a question, Kurapika figured, but the flat way he said it made it sound like an observation.

"Yes." She replied, not taking her eyes off her book.

"Is she and that Zoldyck kid together?"

Kurapika frowned as she looked up from her book. Chrollo seemed curious, his obdisian eyes staring intently at her as if her answer would determine the course of his life.

"They are good friends, that's all. Why?"

Kurapika was sure that her classmate was reining the urge to roll his eyes at her.

"Just curious." He replied and his eyes returned to his book once more.

Kurapika did not go back to reading her book. She thoughtfully stared at her classmate and then asked something that had been bothering her the past few days.

"Do you like Gon, Chrollo?"

"Everybody likes her. She is quite popular." He replied, staring intently at his book. Kurapika was sure that he wasn't reading anymore though.

"You know I don't mean it that way."

Chrollo looked up again. He silently looked her, seemingly choosing his words.

"Maybe. She is rather nice, not pretentious like most girls here. Quite pretty too."

Maybe he was calling her pretentious. But all that Kurapika's brain registered was 'O _h my God he likes Gon. Quite possibly Killua does too. And they both have Mafia connections.'_

"Have you asked her out?" She asked, her voice now slightly urgent. She knew that her sister's love life fell into the category of 'Not my business', but there was a very good chance Gon was going to get involved with Mob kids. Nothing good ever came out of getting involved with anyone from the Mob. Kurapika tightened her fingers into fists.

Chrollo looked amused. He was about to reply but the door slamming open with a very harrowed looking Pakunoda made him shut up. The other Council members streamed in behind her, followed by the Batch representatives.

"Everyone have a seat." Pakunoda yelled. A pink-haired third year girl sat down beside Kurapika, whom she knew everyone called Machi. Following the curious gaze Kurapika was currently giving Pakunoda, the senior muttered "Zenzi." Kurapika nodded, her curiosity gone. No further explanation was necessary.

"Okay everyone, since it's the jubilee year, the Principal has introduced some new events. I wanted to discuss them. Yes Shalnark?"

Kurapika saw the sandy-blonde senior put his hand down and smile sheepishly at Pakunoda. He already seemed to be regretting raising his hand and judging by the look on Pakunoda's face, Kurapika felt that he had every right to be afraid.

"The celebration is not going to take place for another nine months. Can't we uh.." and his voice crawled to a stop. Kurapika already couldn't hear him by the time he said "not going to".

Pakunoda did not even deign him with a look.

"The Principal has requested we invite the representatives from the neighbouring schools. We also need to notify the clubs that they have to perform an event about which they have to inform us. We have to prepare invites, decide on schedules, work on the decorations and also (she threw a look at Shalnark here who seemed ready to disappear into his metal chair) decide on an event the Council and Batch representatives have to do. I want to decide on this Council event."

Kurapika raised her eyebrows. This was going to be one long meeting.

 **XXX**

By the time the meeting ended, the Sun was already dipping in the horizon.

"We spent around two hours and we still haven't figured out what we should do for the function. This celebration will be a disaster." Pakunoda sullenly muttered to him. Not knowing how to comfort her, Chrollo remained silent.

They were outside the Council room now, walking down a flight of stairs that would lead them to the ground floor corridor. Shalnark was walking a little behind them, still too scared to be in Paku's line of sight. They were turning a bend when they all heard a shout that sounded like,"Chrollo!"

Shalnark was the first to turn around and respond with his usual cheeriness, "Oh Frecss-san!"

Kurapika completely ignored him as she rushed towards the three of them. Shalnark's smile faltered and then disappeared as his eyes landed on Paku.

"Can we talk?" She asked, seemingly out of breath as she clutched the banister. Her gaze shifted to his companions and Pakunoda took the hint. Turning to Shal, she grabbed his arm, she said,"Let's go to that new café," and marched him off.

Even before he could feel sorry for leaving Shalnark with Pakunoda, his pity for himself increased tenfold.

"Please don't tell me you are going to give me the older sister lecture." He said, his voice at an edge.

Kurapika blinked at him and frowned. "Of course not. That's for after you get together with my sister, which I don't see happening."

Chrollo started walking once more and smirked at her, "Aww are you jealous Pika-chan?"

"Why should I be jealous of a guy who is so lazy that he would ask people for their homework instead of using his calculator for once in his life? And please don't call me Pika-chan."

Chrollo frowned to himself. She had clearly been hanging out a lot with Pakunoda.

"So what is it?" He asked, massaging his temples. They were standing in front of the school gates, about to go their separate ways. He looked longingly at the road once before turning his attention back to his blonde classmate.

"What do you want from her Chrollo? You are not the kind of person to be interested in someone because of their looks. What is it that Gon can give you?" She asked, her voice low and cold.

In that one moment, where Kurapika was attempting to stare him down, Chrollo noticed her eyes. They were a brown colour and they sported a steely look. Her pupils were a bit dialated more than that of an average person, giving her the apperance of being excited. Technically she was excited, assuming she was mad at him but that wasn't what he noticed. The build of her iris, he noticed, was strangely a lot like a... _cat's._

"You have pretty eyes," he whispered, his voice appreciative and fascinated. The moment Kurapika's gaze turned to confused and transitioned to perplexion did Chrollo realise that how much he had allowed to let himself to get lost in the moment.

Gods, he had never felt so embarrassed before.

"What?"Came the inevitable question. Thankfully, Lady Luck seemed to be on his side because they both heard a yell which said 'Kurapika' and they both turned to look at, fluffy silver-haired Killua running towards them.

Great, he realised, now Kurapika thought him a creep. That basically exterminated any chance of Kurapika letting Gon out of her sights anytime he was around. He turned around, fully intent to run back home but then he heard, "...She was bored to death not being able to get out of bed today."

He immediately spun back to face both of them. "What happened to Gon?" He asked, his curiosity immediately peaked. Because really, there was only one other female person these two would talk about.

Since Kurapika seemed completely unwilling to answer him, Killua spoke up. "She has had a fever since last night. Kurapika asked me if I could get her notes for today."

"You are going to visit her?" He asked.

"Yeah sure." Killua looked at that quiet blonde standing beside him. "I was just going to ask Kurapika that."

"Can I come?" he asked, striving to sound like a really concerned friend instead of laughing at the situation. It was almost too good to be true and he wanted the opportunity to just get back at Kurapika. What remained to be seen that if Kurapika would allow him or not (though it wasn't her decision to make).

Killua was looking at Kurapika, who clearly seemed to be in a dilemma. Chrollo could practically see the gears turning in her brain. There was no good reason she could use to refuse his request. What could she possibly say? 'You can't come cause you are planning to hit on my sister? ' Poor Kurapika. It must be tough being the older sibling.

Hmm. Maybe they all should buy Paku a gift.

"Of course. Gon would be glad to see you both." She replied.

Chrollo did not bother to repress his smile.

 **XXX**

 _I am showing two mob kids where Gon and Mito-san lives._

Kurapika tried focusing on anything that would not make her think about this particular thought. She tried to think about the geography test she gave that morning, she tried to think about Gon's birthday the upcoming week, she even tried to wonder about Ging.

Too bad nothing worked. And thinking of Ging brought up thoughts of her parents. Kurapika soon realised that her knuckles had turned white from clutching her bag too tightly.

"Which street is next Kurapika?"

Her brain registered that it was Killua who had asked her something. She just couldn't process what it was.

"Kurapika are you okay?"

Killua's next question did manage to penetrate her brain this time and she replied with a curt 'I am fine.' She turned at a bend and opened the gate of the first house that met them. "We are here."

She was glad that her voice did not sound as hollow as she felt.

She called out as soon as she opened the front door, "Mito-san I am home." Somewhere inside the house a voice replied "I am in the kitchen." Showing Chrollo and Killua the living room and asking them to wait there, she proceeded to the kitchen to inform Mito about their guests.

"Oh", Mito said, a suprised look on her face as she chopped the cabbage. "I see. Gon will be happy, she was bored to death today. Go and tell her about them then."

Gon had been staring at the ceiling when the three of them filed into the room. Kurapika helped her sit up and rest against the headboard. Gon smiled as brightly as possible, her bright eyes giving off a faint sickly shine.

"Thank you for coming you guys! How was school?"

Kurapika had placed two chairs in front of the bed while she stood beside Killua. Gon looked at her once but didn't say anything.

"Boring." Killua replied. Gon pouted.

"It's not boring if you participate more Killua, don't be so laid-back."

Chrollo could have sworn that Kurapika threw him a look here. Before he could be sure of it, Gon was asking him how his day at school was.

"It was alright. We had a Council meeting today about the jubilee celebrations."

Gon was about to say something but she suddenly closed her eyes and groaned. Kurapika was immediately at her side, helping her settle down on her bed. Making sure that Gon was comfortably tucked in, she straightened up and told them to go downstairs into the living room.

"I am sorry about this," Gon said as they were about to leave the room, "It hurts my eyes if I keep them open for too long."

"It's ok Gon." Killua said, his voice fond. "There's nothing to be sorry about for being sick." Gon smiled weakly at him, after which they all moved downstairs.

Mito had laid out tea and some cookies on the small coffee table. She smiled and as they sat down, Mito waved at the cookies. "Try them, they are just out of the oven."

Killua showed absolutely no self-control as he pretty much lunged at the plate the moment he saw they had chocolate chips in them. In fact, by the time Chrollo finished his first cookie, Killua had almost emptied the entire plate. He only stopped because of the stare Mito was giving him. He had turned an adorable shade of red which had Mito chuckling. Kurapika noticed that Chrollo was eyeing the nearly finished plate with something akin to jealousy.

"So then, let me guess," Mito began, her smile not wavering, "Silver hair, love for chocolates. You must be Killua." She turned to look at Chrollo. "A bandana and a Council member batch. Chrollo right?"

Chrollo was sure that Kurapika and this attractive red-head woman were related. Soon enough:

"I am Mito, Gon and Pika-chan's aunt. Nice to meet you.

Kurapika gave her aunt a mortified look. Why was everyone insisting on calling her by that name?

Killua, now smiling, asked, "What did the doctor say about Gon? She told me yesterday that the last time she had a fever, she was around eight."

Mito was still smiling when she replied, "Oh yes. It's a viral fever. The doctor said that she should be fine in three days's time. It could be due to the weather change."

Chrollo nodded. "Yes, it's been incredibly humid lately. A lot of people in the school aren't coming thanks to the fever outbreak."

"I am guessing that she caught the fever at school."

And just like that, the conversation moved on to how the weather can be harsh on the health of the people. Kurapika moved away the used cups and plates to the kitchen, intending to wash them after she had had a few minutes rest. She went back to where their guests sat, who were now discussing that they should now really get going. However, when they were just about to walk out of the front door, Mito-san asked a question that made Kurapika's heart freeze for the second time that day.

"It's Gon's birthday next week. It's on the 5th. You must come!"

 **~Replies to my angels~**

 **Chocoholic221B:** Yeah well, Gon can be blunt sometimes. I am actually hoping to bring in romancy feelings in chapter 7 but who knows? Fate can be cruel. Yeah I need my Chain Pair making out too like oxygen (and my friends call me unromantic.) Yes OOCness when it comes to writing fem!Pika. I mean, once upon a time, when I was starving for chain pair stories, I came across a fic that had great reviews and all but when I once started reading it, I was like 'What the hel is this?' Not gonna name names but damn it the OOCness was through the roof that I couldn't bear to finish reading it. My belief is that the best in-character fem!Pika Chain Pair story out there is **Twisted** by FivePastTwo. I loved Nispedana's fic too but the focus isn't very much on the Chain Pair so… I guess I should thank those OOC works because they are what motivated me to write my own fanfic. Oh Chrollo, he is so lucky when it comes to a lot of things. Thanks for the faboulsly long review Senpai! I hope you like this chapter too. And Happy Holidays! See you next year! I'll be back in the middle of February btw, need to concentrate on my finals right now.

 **slyside:** Yeah Chrollo here doesn't notice much unless it affects him (or his friends.) Hmm, the Spider's ages. Well, Feitan, Shizuku and Machi can be aged down dramatically. Really not sure about Phinks or Nobunaga (throw Franklin and Bonolenov into the mix.) Ok honey, I am waiting for this fic of yours. I'll start Pming people once my exams are over though. Happy Holidays my friend!

 **Sue:** Glad to see you here! I was really looking forward to writing their interaction too by the way. Some how they end up getting interrupted by Paku and Killu. And I think Paku as the mom friend. No one can change that opinion of mine. Happy Holidays and enjoy!

 **To all the followers and favouriters, a BIG THANK YOU for giving this fic your time. Wherever you are on this planet, I hope you are enjoying yourselves because I love it when I hear from ya'all. See you in 2018! Until then my friends Happy Holidays!**

 **And people** **please, I feel more motivated if you are more vocal. So how about typing something out in that little review box?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** _Still Togashi's._

 **Beta reader:** _The one and only *drumrolls* CHOCOHOLIC221B!_

 **Chapter summary:** _Everybody wants a date with Gon's birthday cake._

* * *

 **Are you guys going to kill me if I wished you a Happy New Year now?**

 **So I have no excuses for being so late (other than being a huge procrastinator.) This chapter was also extremely difficult to write but I made it double the usual length as an apology for being so late. Looshkins! If you are still here, I wanted to let you know that this chapter is for you (I made it longer than usual keeping your review in my mind.) There are two other people who have been a MAJOR help to me. First is my friend Omega, who suggested what Gon's presents from Killua and Chrollo could be. Second is Chocoholic221B for betaing this chapter and being an inspiration. Okay 'Nuff talking, now on with the story:**

 **Gifts**

When Gon woke up on the morning of the 5th of May, there was no Kurapika on the bed in the room that her sister shared with her. Granted it was Saturday and by now they must have finished training, it was still queer to not see her blonde sister waking up with her. Mito-san must have let her sleep in because it was her birthday.

Gon paused in the act of stretching her arms as a huge grin found its way on her face. Right, she was fourteen from today till next year's May 5.

Jumping down the stairs, she rushed into the kitchen because instinct told her that it was the one place the other occupants of the house had a fair chance of being in. Besides, the smell of chocolate beckoned her sensitive nose.

Both Mito and Kurapika were standing in front of the oven when she entered. As soon as her feet crossed the kitchen's threshold, both of them turned to look at her with a smile upon their faces.

Sometimes, Gon wondered how they could not be blood-related to Kurapika. She was always in sync with whatever Mito-san did.

"Happy Birthday Gon!"

 _See? They even talk in unison!_

Gon smiled at the two older girls and said "Thank you!" in her ebullient voice. Her focus had zeroed in on the oven in which the (without a doubt chocolate) cake was being baked. Noticing what had won her attention, Mito smiled.

"I was thinking of Killua when we made this. Do you think you'll even be able to get in a bite after he comes?" She teased.

Gon pouted at her but then brightened up. "It will be a food war!" She said excitedly.

"Careful now, Leorio and me won't give up on the cake just because we love you," Kurapika warned, albeit with a smile, "And I hear Chrollo has a thing for chocolate too."

"You kids are forgetting me," Mito said, her voice faking hurt, "Do you think I won't be able to hold my own against a bunch of little kids like you?"

"Well, we'll find out today, won't we?"

They all laughed and chatted away till nine in the morning, both Kurapika and Gon helping Mito out with the food and cleaning the house. Only four people would be coming, so they didn't bother much with putting up decorations. They all knew that people would notice the food more than the modest house looking nice so Mito did her best to make the victuals as delicious and aromatic as possible. She didn't like the vegetables these markets in the city sold which the hawkers called 'fresh'. It was nothing compared to Whale Island's produce and the herbs that Gon procured after hours of curious exploration in the woods of her hometown. No matter how small Whale Island might have seemed to Ging, Mito felt that it was one of the best places in the world to live in. Still, she made do with the cabbages and lettuce and all the other greens she had bought.

 **XXX**

"Mito-san."

Mito turned to look at her older niece/daughter (because no matter what the official paperwork said, she was the real parent of the two girls, not that bastard Ging) arranging the silverware on the surprisingly large dining table of their (current) modest living accommodations. Mito had once asked Ging the one time in the year when he bothered visiting their hometown the story of how he got such a large table when the paint of the bathroom of his house was peeling off. He had answered that one of his friends took pity on him and bought it for his birthday.

Mito had never believed him.

"Yes, Kurapika?" She asked, wiping her hands on her pink apron as she leaned against the kitchen counter. Kurapika wasn't looking at her, her eyebrows scrunched up in a light frown. Mito knew that it was a sign of the blonde contemplating whether to tell her something or not. Mito waited patiently, watching the blonde struggle with herself for a few moments until Kurapika's hesitant voice finally asked her a surprising question.

"Mito-san, have you heard from Ging recently?"

Mito arched her eyebrows as Kurapika obstinately kept arranging the silverware. Neither one of them noticed that the blonde had picked up the same salad spoon and kept it beside the fancy plate three times already.

"No. Why?" Mito wasn't sure if she was feeling shocked or surprised. Everybody in their household had accepted the fact that Ging would be a missing person in their lives, making an occasional appearance only when he felt like it. Gon was the only one who showed some sort of attachment to Ging, constantly badgering Mito with questions on what her father was like when he was a kid. Kurapika had never been curious about the man. Then again, Kurapika was only curious what the world was like beyond the waters of Whale Island.

A trait that Gon was picking up.

"Just curious," the blonde replied, still not meeting her eyes.

After letting her finish arranging the table, Mito finally said, "You can talk to me, Kurapika."

"I know," this time, her daughter sounded frustrated. "I just..."

But whatever Kurapika was saying got cut off by the shrill ring of the doorbell and both the people inside the kitchen involuntarily flinched. They both had forgotten the occasion for a moment.

Mito hurried to open the door while Kurapika finished tidying everything up. Gon was the one who ushered everyone in (she had practically bounced to the door the moment she heard the shrill sound from the first floor bedroom). Leorio was the first one to enter, followed by Killua and Chrollo. Leorio swooped Gon up with one arm, and immediately regretted it.

"Ouch Gon! You definitely aren't as light as you look."

Gon laughed and jumped back down to the ground and turned to welcome the other guests.

"You guys came!" She shouted in glee. Mito could tell the extra cheeriness was meant for Killua, who looked a bit uncomfortable. Maybe the boy wasn't good at starting conversations. Chrollo was smiling and it made Mito wonder if Gon liked him in the good old-fashioned having a crush way. She wouldn't blame her niece if she did, he really was a handsome boy.

"Hello ma'am and Mito found herself smiling at the boy. Then she stepped back and said, "Please come in all of you."

They followed Mito and Gon (who seemed to have springs attached to her heels) inside. Kurapika smiled at all of them as she deposited the snacks to the small coffee table. In the days to come, Mito was going to remember that moment as the first time she noticed how tired the blonde looked.

Leorio took one look around the room and walked to greet Kurapika. Mito made the other two boys sit in the living room before joining Kurapika in the kitchen once more. Leorio was already helping them finish the remaining work all the while chatting with them non-stop.

"When is Senritsu coming?" he asked while taking a bite off from a chicken leg Mito had just prepared. Kurapika smacked him on the shoulder for it saying, "Don't get started without Gon you glutton!"

Leorio rubbed his shoulder and gave Mito an apologetic smile before saying, 'Sorry.' At that moment, the doorbell rang once again and they could hear Gon's hurried footsteps.

"That must be Senritsu", Kurapika muttered and soon enough, they heard a gentle voice wishing Gon a Happy Birthday.

The three of them rolled out the cake. The first face whose expression Mito's mind registered was Killua's. He looked like he had found paradise, his eyes widened and mouth falling open. Mito was sure he was trying to control his drooling and resisted the urge to smirk. Chocolate cakes had never been a staple in any of the girls' birthdays ( _Gon's birthday_ , her mind corrected, _Kurapika hated celebrating her own birthday_ ), since Mito cared about the girls' overall hygiene (plus chocolate did cost a pretty penny back in Whale island). She could now heave a sigh of relief, knowing that her cake could hold its own against a professionally made one, decoration-wise. Taste was a different matter.

"Wah Mito-san! It looks delicious!" Gon's eyes were shining, exhilaration radiating off her. She stood at the end of her toes, as if she was ready to jump at the baked delight. Killua's expression had shifted to calculating, quite possibly wondering how he could get the biggest piece. Kurapika's old music teacher exchanged a smile with her, as both watched the younger people's expression changed into one of undeniable greed.

The red-head genuinely hoped Gon's prediction about the food war won't come true. Classmates of her children or not, she was going to make them all clean up if they messed up the room.

Teens and their rowdiness.

Kurapika passed Gon the knife who took it without glancing at the piece of steel. Her eyes seemed to have been transfixed by the cake. The fake shutter sound of Leorio's phone as he took a picture was what made her jostle to her senses, making her niece blink.

"We're waiting, Gon," Leorio said, aiming his phone to get a picture of everybody's face. "We love you but we also want a piece of that gorgeous cake."

Mito wasn't surprised that Kurapika slapped him on the arm for that.

"Just blow out the candles, Gon!" Killua whined. "I'll even join into the song!" Each one of them, even Senritsu gave him an incredulous look. Killua did not regret his offer. "See? Anything for chocolate."

"I agree with you there. I'll join in too." Chrollo added. "Besides, it will be depressing if only one person sings."

That was the first time Mito concluded that Gon's choice of friends may not be ideal.

Her younger niece made a face of mock horror. "No, please no!" she begged, "That Happy birthday song always makes me feel like I am still a kid."

Kurapika laughed and brusquely rubbed her sister's head. "You still are you know."

A playful smack followed and Kurapika laughed. "People like being told that they are still a kid sometimes Gon."

"Teens who have just turned 14 definitely don't like being told that," Gon grumbled. It came out adorable, however.

"Gon, I think you are forgetting our desire to taste your birthday cake," a voice spoke. Senritsu looked as if she had noticed Chrollo for the first time. Even Mito was somewhat surprised. That boy was much more amicable than Killua. It was shocking that he had said only one statement for so long.

Her niece pouted and the sight was endearing enough for reserved Kurapika to hug the youngest girl in the room. Mito wanted to do the same, however, she resisted.

"Clearly everyone wants to go out on a date with the cake," Gon sulked, "I am going to give the largest portions only to Mito-san and Senritsu-san."

"Oh no, Gon!" Kurapika widened her eyes and pressed a palm atop her heart in a show of mock horror. "You will do this to your own sister?"

Gon smirked. "Maybe. A lot depends on the present you got me." The blonde raised an eyebrow. Mito noticed Killua getting nervous about that.

"Okay, Gon!" Leorio boomed and patted her shoulder. "I know you will love my present so give me a bigger piece than Pika-chan here, 'kay?" Gon laughed as she bent down to blow out the candle while her older sister punched Leorio's arm for that, a little too hard than she should. Both Chrollo and Killua looked amused while Senritsu began to sing.

It seemed as if time had come to a standstill.

Mito herself had never heard Senritsu sing before. She had only ever had heard the other woman play a flute and she had just been as wonderstruck as she currently was, utterly transfixed by that melodious voice. How could someone make such a simple song sound so beautiful? Mito had sometimes wondered why such a talented person as Senritsu had decided to remain only as a music tutor. The diminutive woman would have been an international sensation with that beautiful voice of hers.

Gon was staring at Senritsu, her warm honey eyes widened to the maximum degree. The knife lay buried in the soft cake, her hand only loosely holding the handle. Both Kurapika and Leorio were smiling, the former's palm resting atop Gon's raven tresses. Killua looked mesmerized, as if he was listening to the best song in the world. The expression on Chrollo's face, Mito was sure, mirrored her own.

Senritsu however soon broke off, looking sheepish. "You are supposed to cut the cake, Gon," she said to the birthday girl. Gon however, only clapped her hands.

"That was beautiful Senritsu-san! How come this is the first time I am hearing you sing?"

The older woman shrugged.

"I have always liked playing the instruments more." Gon nodded.

"Okay one more time! And I promise to cut the cake this time!"

"I thought you didn't like that song Gon," Killua innocently stated. She frowned at the silver-haired boy.

"You will be getting the smallest piece Kill~u~a."

"Mou, how rude!"

 **XXX**

"Present opening time!"

Gon could barely contain her excitement the moment Leorio practically yelled that statement. This was the best part of birthdays, no matter how much Mito-san told her that people attending the occasion were more important than the gifts they brought. Presents were presents and Gon was sure that the novelty of opening a colorful wrapper which could possibly be hiding the most wondrous thing in the world would never wear off for her.

"Come on, Gon! Open mine and Kurapika's one first!" and she found Leorio shoving something wrapped in bright orange paper on her lap.

They were sitting on the couch placed in the drawing room, her older sister and her aunt beside her. Senritsu had sat next to Kurapika, a gentle smile on her face and a gift wrapped in sparkly green wrapper on her lap. Leorio stood in front of her, eagerly waiting for her to open the present and Gon was only too happy to comply. Killua and Chrollo-san had long since left for home.

Tearing off the wrapping paper that dazzled her eyes, it revealed a large pink box people used for storing shoes. Her breath catching in her throat and hoping that whatever was inside would not be in the same colour as the box was in, Gon lifted the lid.

The boots inside were a muted shade of olive green, quite unlike her previous one which had been a much more vivid shade. This one also didn't have any laces; it was the simple slip-in kind.

"You guys wha-?" Gon shook her head, choosing instead to slip inside her newest acquisition, finding that they reached up to her knees and were profoundly comfortable.

"Try jumping in them," she heard the calm voice of her sister tell her and Gon immediately stood up. She balanced herself a little on the balls of her feet and gracefully bounced a little into the air. Her eyes widened a little more. The boots felt like a second layer of skin, they stuck to her leg and they didn't slip off unlike her last pair (which she had unfortunately found out while climbing a tree in a Whale Island).

She pulled both Leorio and Kurapika into a hug, but found herself get lifted instead. The hug that Leorio single-handedly gave her was bone-crushing, but she didn't mind. Her sister, held her lightly, as if afraid that Leorio would drop her but the gesture touched Gon. Kurapika was rather skittish when it came to someone even patting her head, so the blonde holding her like this meant a lot to Gon.

"Thank you so much! Leorio! Kurapika! I promise to wear them all the time!"

She didn't even have to turn around to know that her sister was smiling.

"Not always, Gon. Your feet will start to smell otherwise," Mito-san reprimanded her, although gently. Gon laughed and nodded, Leorio gently placing her down, a tender smile on his affectionate face.

"They look very good on you Gon-san," Senritsu-san said. Leorio beamed. "The colour was my choice," he whispered conspiratorially to Gon.

"Yeah, the idea was mine," came her sister's opinion.

"Alright, Gon-chan, it's our turn now," said Senritsu-san who held up the present wrapped in green along with Mito-san.

This box was larger than the previous one, but it was slightly narrower too. Gon gingerly fingered it, taking her time opening it. She was much more careful with this gift than her previous one as the paper was much prettier than the orange one. Gradually, it revealed the box to be from a boutique Gon and Kurapika had went past on their way to school. Fingers trembling with excitement yet again, Gon opened the lid to find herself looking at a... robe? With an extremely low neckline? She wasn't sure how to exactly describe it, all she knew that it was going to be the most beautiful piece of clothing she was ever going to own. Gon didn't pick it up from the box, afraid that she would ruin the garment's folds, instead choosing to stare at the beautiful floral pattern which represented the cherry blossoms she had seen on her first day at her high school. The subdued blue on which it was patterned upon looked eerily similar to the hydrangea flowers whose pictures Kurapika had shown her last summer when she had been at Whale Island last time.

"It's GORGEOUS Senritsu-san! Mito-san! What is it called? I have never seen a dress like this before!"

"It's not a 'dress', it's called a yukata." Trust Kurapika to answer her question. "You will need this in July."

"Yes, Gon-chan. It's traditional clothing in Jappon here. You will find it's very comfortable." Senritsu-san added.

"Can I wear it now?" she asked. It was incredibly tempting to just pull out the beautiful robe (yukata was it?) from the confines of the box but she didn't want to tear the material by accident. It looked quite expensive to her.

Mito-san chuckled. "Maybe later. It will take you sometime to wear it. Don't you want to see what Killua-kun and Chrollo-kun got you? It will be rude to keep their gifts waiting."

It was a shame that they both had went home. Killua had a curfew and Chrollo-san's house was nearly eleven kilometers away and it would take him nearly half an hour to get to the subway.

"So, which one do you want to open first?" Kurapika asked, holding up two boxes. One was wrapped in a rich royal blue while the other in a baby pink. They looked like they could be used for keeping jewelry. Gon _really_ hoped they won't turn out to be jewelry. Shiny objects tended to attract the attention of small animals and that got in the way of exploring.

"How about the blue one?" Gon asked. It was a small box which Gon had seen people use to store small items like earrings. Mito-san passed it to her and Gon checked the gift card attached to the gift.

"It's from Killua," Gon announced before opening it. Leorio stood beside her, peering at the box in her hand. He was the second person in the room who matched her enthusiasm about opening presents.

"What are these?" he asked curiously, "They look like small hooks."

It took Gon less than a nanosecond to realize what the 'hooks' were and, it greatly surprised her that Killua chose something so thoughtful after only knowing her for a month. Picking up a bright yellow colored one with serrations at the inner bend of the hook, she informed the bespectacled boy, "These are fish hooks. I think they are hand-made."

She turned and lifted it a little towards the artificial luminescence provided by the LED tube in the room in order to get a better view. The tip of the hook she was holding was extremely sharp, designed for angling small species. Checking the box once more, Gon saw that there were various sizes of hooks inside. The largest one could be easily used for fishing larger species like the carp.

Kurapika bent down to observe the hooks too. "I didn't know Killua knew about your love for fishing," she commented, picking up a smaller hook than the one was Gon holding.

"Yeah, I don't remember saying anything about it. Could've mentioned it to him in passing." Gon scratched her forehead, placing the hook back into the box. "It's really nice of him to remember." Her sister's eyebrow scrunched up only for moment, Gon wasn't sure why, before she relaxed and said, "Yes, it was."

"Okay kiddos, it's nearly 10 PM, when are you planning on going to sleep? Senritsu-san is tired." Gon jolted. Now this had been extremely rude of her. Even Kurapika looked like she felt guilty for keeping the frail adult up for so long. Senritsu needed to rest for extended periods of time and after today's excitement and all the activity, Gon did not want to think how adversely it must have affected Senritsu's health, despite her saying that she was fine.

"Come on Senritsu-san, I have prepared the bed for you. We will be roommates for tonight," Mito said to her. "Kurapika, clean the dining room with Gon. Leorio, the guest bedroom is all yours." Senritsu got up to her feet, smiling at her aunt. Gon could see her pallor had worsened. It made her feel even guiltier.

"Don't worry about me Gon," Senritsu's smile was directed towards her this time, "Finish opening the presents. I want to know what Chrollo-san's present is." Gon nodded and undid the lace holding the baby pink wrapping paper. She didn't pay much attention to the ornately carved box, too much in a hurry to find out what it's inside contained.

When she showed everyone what the gift had turned out to be, Senritsu had to nearly be carried to the bed by an even more shocked Mito.

 **XXX**

"That was excessive," Gon muttered.

"Yes, it was," Kurapika acquiesced.

The digital clock on the study table of their room read 1:00 AM. Kurapika was sitting on her bed, eager to discuss with her sister the shock Chrollo had presented to go back to her own bed.

"What was he thinking?" Kurapika muttered. Gon rubbed her sister's palm, in an effort to calm her down. Honestly, Gon was shocked by the fact that her senior had gifted her something so expensive after knowing her only for a month through fleeting conversations which only occurred twice, maybe thrice by chance.

 _And_ he was supposed to be Kurapika's classmate.

Her sister obviously thought Chrollo must have some sort of ulterior motive for this. Gon wasn't so sure but she didn't want to take chances either.

"It's okay Kurapika. Calm down. Go to sleep."

"Calm down?" the blonde raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Who in their right mind gifts people vouchers to a five star resort?"

"At least he didn't give the train tickets too for free."

 **For people thinking that Chrollo is going to love bomb Gon, here is the story of how he got his gift:**

"Pakunoda, what do I get for a present?"

"Well, what do you know about her?"

"She is Ging's daughter, Kurapika's sister, good at sports, not much into reading books."

"What's her favourite sport? Or hobby?"

"I have no idea."

Pakunoda looked annoyed. She sipped her orange juice and ignored Chrollo's expectant look while doing it. After a few seconds of intensely concentrating on the colour of the drink, came Pakunoda's next question. "How did you get yourself invited to this girl's birthday again?"

"Do you want me to repeat that story?"

His blonde friend made a frustrated sound before replying with a "Never mind." Chrollo ruffled his hair, wondering if he should buy a bracelet or a pair of earrings. Teenage girls liked that right?

"Well Danchou we have those gift vouchers from that resort in Quansol. You could give her that," Shalnark advised, his eyes fixed on the Xbox, the sound of gunfire from its speakers getting steadily louder.

Well that's a good idea. He won't have to waste any money that way.

Chrollo turned to look at the video game playing blond.

"You just want to invite Kurapika there, don't you?"

* * *

 **Next Chapter:** _School rule no. 38412: We should torture the students with exams first, then they can ruin their vacation worrying about the results._

* * *

 **~Replies to all the people who is still sticking with this story~**

 **slyside:** _._ No problemo amigo, I can always wait for a Kurallo (blame Laviente-san for corrupting me into writing this instead of KuroKura) story. Don't feel too bad for Paku, this woman can take care of herself, so long as Machi and Kurapika and those four unnamed Council members stay by her side. Yeah Killua is one lucky b $t rd isn't he? I have to hide chocolate cookies from my Dad lol. Throw more of your ideas at me, my PM box is now open!

 **Chocoholic221B:** I personally myself want to see the look on Chrollo's face when he realizes he has fallen for the ice-cold blonde. And yeah I have this bad habit of trolling Kurallo moments which I am probably never going to get rid of. Good news is we are getting closer to the actual romance build-up! You have no idea how much I am waiting to write those parts. Nobody dares shorten Kurapika's name, I like writing this angry blonde getting worked up about people mocking her name. Now if this was canon Kura, I would probably be dead if I wrote that scene. Good thing it's a nenless AU whew. I hope you like this little cliffhanger here and yes, like all other Kurallo relationships, it's going to start with the eyes. Well, not exactly but the eyes do have a role. IC? I don't know about that but I am aiming to get inside that category. My exams went well by the way, if you are curious. Thank you so much for your help Senpai!

 **Looshkins:** Just you wait and see what the mighty will be doing over here in pursuit of the ice queen. No matter how charismatic the guy becomes when he grows older, there will be moments where hormones get the better of him, I promise. Then again, when it comes to wining over Pika-chan, a little awkwardness can be healthy. I followed your advice and made this one as long as possible! I have decided in the meantime that I should increase my minimum word count to 3k+ words.

 **Hexel-JustAnotherReader (ch 1):** And I am excited to see you! Let me know what you think about this one!

 **DazzlingDenasha:** Really? Really? *Hugs* Hmmm, I don't want to give any spoilers but I promise Hisoka will be present with his card case and makeup kit. Feitan and Uvo…we will see about them now, won't me? And thank you for promising to stick around for this. It means a lot to me! *Hugs once more*

 **And to the followers and favouriters, I love you guys. Every single time I see people viewing my story, it makes me really happy. I am glad you guys like this and it's for your sake I will keep coming back. See you soon!**


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